Future Spurs abroad: Where are they now?

As our man on the scene, Tim Griffin, chronicled earlier today, a sweat-soaked Ryan Richards was spotted shooting around alone after the Spurs’ official team shootaround this morning at the practice facility.

As Griffin also notes, Spurs fans — who have never met an unproven player they can’t mythologize — shouldn’t get too excited about this development just yet.

Richards, the 6-foot-11 Englishman the Spurs selected with the 49th overall pick in the 2010 draft, has been in San Antonio for much of the season, rehabilitating after a pair of shoulder surgeries. He remains under contract with Gran Canaria, his Spanish League team, and could return there once he gets well. (Gran Canaria loaned him to BC Monthey last season).

Richards, still a raw 19-year-old, was deemed to be a few years away from consideration for the Spurs’ roster the day they drafted him, and his season of injury hasn’t changed that timetable. Still, his presence in the practice gym this morning got us thinking about other players the Spurs have stashed on other continents.

In addition to Richards, the Spurs own rights to three other players currently toiling overseas. Just for fun, here is a look at them:

* Nando de Colo: A 6-foot-5 combo guard selected by the Spurs in the second round in 2009, de Colo is playing for Pamesa Valenica in Spain. He is currently averaging 10.3 points and 1.7 assists in 21.3 minutes during Euroleague play. During last summer’s FIBA World Championships, de Colo was France’s starting point guard, taking over for Tony Parker, who sat out the competition. De Colo, 23, was probably more of an option to join the Spurs’ roster in 2011-12 had Parker gone elsewhere. The Spurs might be interested in de Colo for guard depth next season, but with Parker locked in for four more years, he becomes less of a necessity.

* Robertas Javtokas: In Valencia, de Colo is teamed up with another former Spurs’ draft pick. But Javtokas’ chances of joining the NBA are probably behind him. The Spurs took Jovtokas, a 6-foot-11 Lithuanian who turns 31 this month, with the 55th overall selection in 2001. They’ve won three of their four NBA titles since then. A promising prospect, Javtokas suffered serious injuries in a 2002 motorcycle crash but returned to European basketball in 2003-04. The Spurs have shopped his rights at various times over the past several years, but have found no takers.

* Sergei Karaulov: Though he stands 7-foot-1, Karaulov seems to be a forgotten man among the Spurs’ Euros. The 28-year-old native of Uzbekistan, who the Spurs selected in the second round in 2004, is currently playing with Spartak-Primorie of the Russian Superleague. He isn’t considered an NBA prospect at this time.